The Perfect Gift
by Lyrik Proz
Summary: Jacen, not turning darkside or Sith, takes his 10-year-old daughter, Alana, on a quest to find the perfect anniversary gift for Tenel-ka, but keeps messing up. One-shot.


I was challenged to write the following:  
_What you want the person to write about: a vignette about J/TK post-DN in which Jacen (with a ten year old Allana) is trying to find Tenal Ka the perfect Anniversary gift. but keeps messing up. want to have humor, but mainly mushtastic._

This is what I came up with:

**The Perfect Gift**

Allana skipped excitedly from store window to store window as Jacen struggled awkwardly to carry the many packages they had accumulated while shopping. The father and daughter walked around the one-hundred-and-fifty-third level of Corruscant's Ultra Mall. The Jedi Master shook his head in perplexity. "I don't know why I let you talk me into coming _ihere/i _to search for an anniversary giftfor your mother. Everything is ridiculously overpriced!"

"But, if you can't find it here, you can't find it anywhere, daddy!" Her gray eyes brightened as she looked in the window of Darkstar Jewelers. "Ooh, these earrings are absolutely astral!"

Jacen stood behind Allana and looked at the sparkling multi-colored earrings his daughter indicated. "Are they 'astral' for you or your mother?" His tone conveyed his suspicion that the answer was the former rather than the latter.

She blushed, having been caught yet again wanting something for herself while they were shopping for her mother. Then she giggled as looked up at him and saw the amusement in her father's eyes.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, even if I had enough credits to purchase that, I wouldn't have enough left over to buy an anniversary gift."

"Well, you could buy it for her, and I can borrow it!"

"Allana," he gently scolded with a raise of his eyebrow. "The meaning of a gift is to show someone how much you care, not get something you hope they'll let you use!"

Allana looked down at the floor feeling ashamed. She could sense his disappointment at her behavior. "I'm sorry."

Jacen's heart melted and he would have hugged her had he not been carrying so many packages. "It's alright, sweetie, let's go find mom something she'd like, ok?"

"Ok," she smiled as she raised her eyes then reached out to take some of the bags from her father. "Let me help."

"Thank you." Jacen said with relief.

A little later, something caught Jacen's eyes from the window of a lingerie store, which reminded him of the outfit Tenel Ka was wearing when he first met her. He smiled brightly as he thought, _iit's a bit more revealing, but perfect,_/i and he entered the store. "Excuse me, would you have that green…" he searched for the right word for the lacy outfit that had caught his eye, "…piece of clothing in the window in malkloc hide?"

The Twi-lek shopkeeper raised his hairless eye ridge slightly and looked down his nose at the Jedi. "I'm afraid we don't." _Thank the stars we don't_, thought the snobbish retailer.

"Oh," Jacen looked crestfallen and turned around to get ready to go. "Come…"

"On the other hand, we do have some similar garments in fine, supple leather that are comparable to what you want." The salesperson deftly put himself between his prospective customer and the exit. "Please, let me show you." He expertly guided Jacen over to the promising articles of women's undergarments.

One by one, Jacen rejected them, but paused at one particular item and grinned as he imagined his wife standing over him with it on. He quickly shook his head as he remembered his earlier admonishment of Allana. iThough, I wouldn't actually be borrowing it./i He allowed himself a moment longer of fanaticizing before wiping the grin off his face. "No, nothing here is what she would like. Thank you for your time, though."

Jacen turned to leave. His packages nearly slipped out of his hands as his jaw dropped open.

"I'd like this one, daddy." Allana was holding up a pink lacy outfit to herself that left nothing to the imagination.

"Absolutely not!" Jacen's spoke firmly. _iShe's only ten, and is already contemplating wearing such a thing! Stars, what am I going to do when she's old enough to have a body that can properly show off such a thing? Hmmm… I could lock her in her room./i_ "Put it back, Allana, we need to go."

Allana pouted as she placed the lacy lingerie back on the rack before picking up the packages she had placed on the floor. She heaved a heavy sigh as she followed her father out of the store.

A couple hours later, Allana trudged tiredly behind her father, and Jacen despaired of ever finding the perfect gift for Tenel Ka. "Daddy, could we go now?"

Jacen sighed. "Yeah, let's get out of here. Maybe I can go someplace later while you and mom do something together."

As they walked toward an exit, however, a small kiosk attracted his attention. There were several holograms of ordinary looking people singing and dancing, but the volume was turned down. A sign above them said, "You're the Star!"

Allana's eyes went wide in horror. "No! No way! Don't you even think about it!"

Jacen looked at his daughter innocently. "What? It's the perfect way to show how I feel about your mom." He smiled as he walked up to the desk.

"Good afternoon, sir." A lavender protocol droid spoke in a pleasant feminine voice. "Would you like to make a recording today?"

"Yes, I'd like to record a love song for my wife. It's our anniversary tomorrow."

"Congratulations, sir! And may I say, recording a ballad is a wonderfully romantic way to express your love for your significant other."

"Thank you."

The droid taps a switch and a list of songs scroll down a screen. "You may choose which tune you would like to croon from this comprehensive directory."

Allana watched with her arms folded and tapped her feet impatiently as her father looked through the scrolling titles.

"Sweetheart," Jacen spoke distractedly as he stared at the screen, "why don't you go across the hallway and get yourself a snack?"

She rolled her eyes. "Ok, sure." Allana headed over to the snack bar her father indicated and bought an air cake and a bottle of bribb juice. She came back to the recording kiosk and sat down to eat her cake as her father still searched for the song he wanted to record for Tenel Ka.

"This is it!" Jacen tapped the title with his finger with a delighted smile.

"An excellent choice, sir. A little offbeat perhaps, but it is a fine expression of devotion." The droid approved as it lead the Jedi to the recording booth.

As Jacen was in the booth recording, a skinny Balosar replaced the droid behind the counter. He smirked when he saw the client in the booth and casually tapped a couple buttons as he whistled nonchalantly.

At first, Allana did not pay much attention, but then frowned as she heard her father's voice outside the kiosk. She quickly stood and looked out and nearly spewed the juice she was sipping upon a passing elderly Defel. She did not notice him glare at her as he walked on, for her attention was riveted to the larger-than-life hologram in front of the kiosk, just to the left of the entrance. To her horror, the hologram was of her father singing a very sappy song, completely out of tune.

She moaned as she raised hand to her forehead. _iWhy does he have to be tone-deaf on top of it all?/i _She was mortified, yet unable to turn away as the hologram danced to the music. i _At least he has good rhythm. I hope no one I know comes by to see this!/i_

Soon, but not soon enough to suit Allana, the song ended and the hologram faded out. Her father emerged from the booth and paid for the holochip recording.

"Can we go now?" Alana sighed petulantly.

Too excited about the gift he had made for his wife, Jacen overlooked his daughter's attitude. "Yeah, I can hardly wait to give this to your mom." He said eagerly as he stepped lightly out of the kiosk.

Allana could not help but smile as she forgot her embarrassment. _iHe loves her so much! I hope someday I will find someone who will love me like that… though I hope he has a better singing voice./i_ She sighed as she started to daydream. The smile remained on her face all the way home.

The End


End file.
